A former bus conductor has been officially appointed the new mayor of Brent.

Cllr Bhagwanji Chohan was elected on Wednesday at the Mayor Making Ceremony at Brent Civic Centre attended by fellow councillors and representatives from voluntary and community organisations in the borough.

Cllr Chohan, who has represented Alperton since 2010, has taken over the role from Cllr Parvez Ahmed, who received a badge to mark his year in office.

After moving from Kenya to London, Cllr Chohan worked as a bus conductor and booking clerk, before setting up his own grocery business which he successfully ran for 23 years.

He has also volunteered for a wide range of organisations including the Youth Service and Ealing Community Race Relations Council.

The two charities he will be supporting in office are the Asian Women’s Resource Centre in Stonebridge which supports women and children experiencing domestic abuse so they can rebuild their lives.

He is also supporting the Akshaya Patra Foundation UK - which works to eradicate classroom hunger and facilitate childhood education.

He said: “I’m delighted to have been elected mayor of Brent and feel honoured to represent the borough and our residents. Brent is one of London’s most culturally diverse boroughs, and I’m looking forward to working with underrepresented communities across the borough to ensure that all residents are given a voice.

“I would also like to thank and pay tribute to my friend and colleague, the outgoing mayor Cllr Parvez Ahmed for his great contribution to the office of mayor.”